How to fix a Moto X4 smartphone that is stuck on black screen of death [Troubleshooting Guide]

One of the dreaded issues transpiring in various smartphones including the Moto X4 handset is an issue on black screen of death (BSOD). It's when the device stops working and gets stuck on black screen. Read on to find out what causes your Moto X4 to get stuck on black screen and what options you can try on to fix the problem on your end.

There are two possibilities to consider when dealing with black screen of death problem in mobile devices. First is that your device might have been having some major software issues that prevent it from functioning properly. Second is that your device might have accumulated any sort of physical or liquid damage from a previous instance of dropping or liquid exposure. If the black screen problem you're dealing with is tied to a software issue, then there are some workarounds you can try on your end before rushing to a service center. But if the hardware is at fault, then your best hope in fixing your phone is nothing but repair.

Phone service is costly unless your device is still under warranty. This is probably one of the main reasons as to why a lot of people would still resort to perform any applicable workarounds in attempt to fix the problem at home. Aside from money, it'll likewise save time and effort you would spend for a trip to a service center. Having said that, you may consider resorting to any of the following options and attempt to fix your Moto X4 that is stuck on black screen of death, by yourself and on your end. If you'll find luck and be able to fix the problem at home, then you're good. Otherwise, you've got no other choice but to go for repair, if not procure a new phone.

For smartphone owners who found our site while trying to find a solution, try to see if your phone is one of the devices we support. If it is, then visit the troubleshooting page for that device, browse through it to find issues that are similar with yours and feel free to use our solutions and workarounds. However, if you still need our help after that, then fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

Possible solutions to black screen of death problem on your Moto X4

The following procedures only work with and applicable to software-related stuck display problems in mobile devices. Otherwise, it wouldn't hurt to try each of them before opting for service center repair.

First workaround: Forced restart.

Software glitches are usually the main culprits. Many devices can succumb into a similar issue because of certain bugs that might have prevented the power/booting system from completing its routine. A simple possible solution you can try on in this case is a forced restart. Here's how it's done:

Press and hold the Power button for about 10 to 20 seconds until the device power cycles.

Similar to the usual restart or soft reset, a forced restart won't delete any of your critical data and personal information stored on the internal memory. Thus it's definitely a safe solution to begin with.

Second workaround: Force your Moto X4 to reboot while charging.

In some cases, a device gets stuck on black screen and won't power on simply because it's battery is emptied, if not busted. To rule power issue out from the underlying causes, try to charge your phone. Use the original (Motorola-supplied) charger then charge your device and make sure it's able to initiate charge. If your phone doesn't charge or you don't see any charging indicator after 30 minutes from plugging it to a power source, then you need to deal with charging problem first. It's possible that your phone has just completely run out of power thus couldn't boot up. But if it's able to charge, then force it to restart while charging.

To do so, press and hold the Power button for about 10 to 20 seconds or until it boots up while it's plugged into a power source.

If your device is able to power up, back up your important data and perform a factory data reset on your Moto X4. This will be necessary to obliterate any system bugs, malware and software glitches that might have caused your device to suddenly stop working and get stuck on black screen of death. You can hard reset your phone through settings or through Android recovery mode.

To hard reset your Moto X4 through settings, navigate to Apps-> Settings-> System-> Reset-> Factory Data Reset-> Reset Phone. If prompted, enter your credentials to unlock your device then select Erase Everything to confirm reset.

Alternatively, you can perform an external reset or reset your Moto X4 through Android recovery mode. Just be sure to take note of your Gmail account and password beforehand. Once you're all set, follow these steps:

With your device powered off, press and hold the Volume Down and Power buttons simultaneously for about 10 to 20 seconds or until the device powers on.
Press the Volume Down button to highlight Recovery Mode.
Press the Power button to restart in Recovery Mode. You will then see the Android logo with a red exclamation mark. If you see this logo, continue to the next step.
While holding down the Power button, press the Volume Up button.
Press on either Volume buttons to scroll to and highlight Wipe data/factory reset from the given options.
Then press the Power button to confirm selection.
Press the Volume buttons again to highlight Yes — erase all user data from the given options.
Then press the Power button to confirm selection.
Wait for your phone to complete the hard reset and then reboots.

That should fix any software errors that might have caused conflicts and troubles to your phone's system functions. After the reset, set up your device as new and update software to the latest version of Android. It should be working fine again.

Third workaround: Restore your Moto X4 using Android recovery software on your computer.

If you can access your Moto X4 on your computer, try to recover your files then use a Moto X Recovery Software and Android Recovery/Repair tool to retrieved files and repair your phone system. Just download and install the software on your computer, then connect your Moto X4 to your computer via USB in order to get started. Some people have found remedy by resorting to these tools so you might as well consider this among your last options if nothing else works for you. Otherwise, seek further assistance.

Ask More Help

Don't hesitate to contact Motorola Support and seek further assistance if none of the prior methods is able to fix the problem and your Moto X4 remains stuck on black screen of death. Escalating the problem is recommended if it started and persisted after installing a new firmware version or software update on your device. This could be tagged among other post-update issues that require official fix patch through follow-up minor updates.

Alternatively, you can take your phone to a service center for possible hardware repair. A damaged component like a fried or busted motherboard might have caused your device to get stuck on black screen and thus your only hope to get it back up and running again is repair.

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